James Brady's death ruled a homicide from 1981 shooting

CaptionJames Brady

Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady visits the White House Press Briefing Room in Washington in 2011, marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady visits the White House Press Briefing Room in Washington in 2011, marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. (Mandel Ngan, AFP/Getty Images)

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady and his wife Sarah, right, visit the White House Press Briefing Room in Washington in 2011, marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady and his wife Sarah, right, visit the White House Press Briefing Room in Washington in 2011, marking the 30th anniversary of the assassination attempt on former U.S. President Ronald Reagan. (Kevin Lamarque, Reuters)

33 years after assassination attempt against Reagan, James Brady's death ruled a homicide

A Virginia medical examiner has ruled the death of James Brady, the former press secretary critically wounded in the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan a homicide, according to a police spokesperson.

Brady was shot in the head by John Hinckley during the assassination attempt in 1981.

Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity for the Washington shooting, which left Brady partially paralyzed. Reagan, a police officer and a Secret Service agent were also wounded.

Death of Reagan press secretary James Brady ruled a homicide

A spokeswoman says a Virginia medical examiner has notified police that this week's death of former White House press secretary James Brady has been ruled a homicide.

A spokeswoman says a Virginia medical examiner has notified police that this week's death of former White House press secretary James Brady has been ruled a homicide.

Brady was born on August 29, 1940, in Centralia, Illinois. He became a leading gun control crusader after the March 30, 1981, attack that left him partially paralyzed due to brain damage.

Hinckley shot Reagan in an attempt to impress Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster, with whom he was obsessed. He was diagnosed with major depression, and psychotic and narcissistic personality disorders.

A federal judge in February set terms for Hinckley's outings from the mental hospital where he has lived since the shootings. Hinckley, 59, was allowed 17 days a month to visit his mother's hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia.

Barry Levine, Hinckley's lawyer, said he had spoken with him about the medical examiner's ruling. He declined to give details, citing lawyer-client privilege, and said he and Hinckley wished to express their regrets to Brady's family.

"The idea that this case would be prosecuted is far-fetched, far-fetched in the extreme," he said, given the not-guilty decision and the decades between the shooting and Brady's death.

Courts have found that Hinckley's mental illness has been in remission for more than two decades, Levine said.

Bill Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, said the office was reviewing the ruling and had no further comment.

A spokeswoman for the Virginia medical examiner referred calls to the Washington police.

The 13-count indictment against Hinckley for the 1981 shooting included federal charges of attempted assassination of the president, assault on a federal officer, and use of a firearm in the commission of a federal offense. They also included District of Columbia offenses of attempted murder, assault, and weapons charges.

The District of Columbia offenses included charges related to Brady's shooting.

James Brady, a former U.S. presidential press secretary who became a leading gun control crusader after he was critically wounded in an assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan, has died, a family spokeswoman said on Monday. He was 73.

Former White House Press Secretary James Brady gives a thumbs-up to everyone as he visits the White House press briefing room in Washington in this file photo from March 30, 2011. Brady, critically wounded in the 1981 assassination attempt on U.S. President Ronald Reagan, has died, a spokeswoman...